Dwelling construction system

ABSTRACT

In a dwelling construction system, a multi-story, multi-family building comprises prestressed concrete pallets which are supported between load bearing walls to form the floors and the ceilings of individual dwellings. Each dwelling includes a service core comprising an enclosure formed on one of the pallets and complete mechanicals for the dwelling. The service cores are fabricated by mass production techniques and are subsequently transported to the building site for installation. In some instances the service core comprises a complete dwelling, in which case the enclosure of the service core may form the exterior walls and the roof of the dwelling.

[ Apr. 2, 1974 United States Patent ton Livings 893,974 4/1962 GreatBritain.....,.......,...... 52/228 Inventor: Johnston R. Livingston,Denver,

Colo.

Assignee: Marcor Housing Systems,

[73] Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh Incorporated, Denver, Colo. Mar.1, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 230,803

[57] ABSTRACT In a dwelling construction system, a multi-story,multifamily building comprises prestressed concrete pallets which aresupported between load bearing walls to [22] Filed:

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No.

1971 b d d July form the floors and the ceilings of individual dwella anone ings. Each dwelling includes a service core comprising an enclosureformed on one of the pallets and complete mechanicals for the dwelling.The service cores are fabricated by mass production techniques and aresubsequently transported to the building site for installation. in someinstances the service core comprises a complete dwelling, in which casethe enclosure of the 20 3 MOOMZ 6 2 2 2 5 2 5 0 9 %M HZ 6 M 4 B7 5m 5 144 7 22 4/ 2 2 5 5 m mh "c r n "a n e n "S I n w C l WM k U mF l] 2 8 555 service core may form the exterior walls and the roof of thedwelling.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,162,863 12/1964 52 745 16Claims 54 Drawing Figures PATENTEU PR 2 I974 SHEET 02 HF 26 FIG.5

PMENIEDMR 2:914 26 3.800.493

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SHEEI PMENIEBMR 2 m4 QMENIEUAPR 2 m4 sum 13 HF 26 FIG. 20

FIG. 2!

PMENIEU W 3.800.493

sum 1a or 26 PAIENIEBAPR 2:924 3.800.493

sum 17 or 26 FIG. 29

O e E5 PMENIEDAPR 2:914 3.800.493

saw 18 nr 26

1. The method for erecting a habitable building which comprises: forminga plurality of load bearing wall panels, a plurality of prestressedpallets adapted to be supported along two spaced lines, and a pluralityof shear wall panels, constructing at least one enclosure on at leastone of the pallets to form a service core, and then erecting thebuilding by: a. erecting the load bearing wall panels in spaced parallelrelationship, b. setting a first set of pallets, including a servicecore and at least one additional pallet, between the load bearing wallpanels with the load bearing wall panels supporting the pallets alongspaced lines to form a floor of the building, c. placing shear wallpanels at each end of the load bearing wall panels and connecting theshear wall panels to the load bearing wall panels to hold the loadbearing wall panels erect, and d. setting a second set of pallets abovethe first set to form a ceiling, the second set being supported alongspaced lines by the load bearing wall panels.
 2. The method of erectinga habitable building according to claim 1 including the additional stepsof: erecting a second set of load bearing wall panels on top of thefirst load bearing wall panels; erecting a second set of shear wallpanels on top of the first shear wall panels; connecting the second setof shear wall panels to the second set of load bearing wall panels tohold the load bearing wall panels erect; setting a third set of palletsabove the second set to form a ceiling, the third set being supportingalong spaced lines by the second set of load bearing wall panels; andwherein the second set of pallets includes at least one service core. 3.The method of erecting a habitable building according to claim 1 furthercharacterized by: erecting an additional load bearing wall panel inspaced parallel relationship to the first load bearing wall panels;setting an additional set of pallets, including a service core and atleast one additional pallet, between the additional load bearing wallpanel and one of the first load bearing wall panels to form the floor ofan additional building; and placing shear wall panels at each end of theadditional building and connecting the shear wall panels to theadditional load bearing wall panel and to said one of the first loadbearing wall panels to hold the additional wall panel erect.
 4. In amethod for erecting a dwelling on a construction site, the steps of:preparing a service core including enclosure for mechanicals on thesubstantially flat upper surface of an elongated, integrally castconcrete pallet at a plant remote from the site, the pallet having adeck portion and a plurality of longitudinally extending beam portionsdepending from the deck portion, each beam portion encasing tensionmembers which prestress the concrete beams such that each of the beamportions can be supported at two spaced points to thereby support a loadon the deck, preparing a support on the construction site having a pairof spaced load bearing means for supporting each of the beams of thepAllet at the spaced points, transporting the pallet from the plant tothe construction site while supporting the beams of the pallet adjacentthe spaced points, and placing the spaced points of the beams on thesupporting means at the construction site.
 5. The method of erecting adwelling according to claim 4 further characterized by: repeating thefirst step to form a second service core on a prestressed concretepallet which is similar to the pallet of the first core in that it isadapted for support at two spaced points to support a load, wherein thesecond step is further characterized by forming a support on theconstruction site having a second pair of spaced load bearing means forsupporting the pallet of the second service core at spaced pointslocated directly above the support points for the pallet of the firstservice core, repeating the third step to transport the second servicecore to the construction site, and placing the spaced points of thepallet of the second service core on the second pair of spaced loadbearing means.
 6. The method of constructing a multi-story,multi-dwelling unit structure comprising: forming a prestressed concretepallet including a deck having a generally planar upper surface and aplurality of beams which depend from the deck and which extend beyondthe ends of the deck; installing substantially all of the kitchen,bathroom and temperature control facilities for a dwelling unit on thepallet; forming a pair of prestressed concrete load bearing walls eachhaving notches formed in its upper end at points corresponding to thepositioning of the beams of the pallet; positioning the load bearingwalls in spaced, parallel, substantially vertically extendingorientations; and positioning the pallet on the load bearing walls withthe beams of the pallet received in the notches of the walls.
 7. Themethod of constructing a multi-story, multi-dwelling unit structureaccording to claim 6 further characterized by forming enclosure means onthe deck of the pallet surrounding the kitchen, bathroom, andtemperature control facilities thereon.
 8. The method of constructing amulti-story, multi-dwelling unit structure according to claim 7 whereinthe enclosure means extends substantially the entire length and width ofthe pallet and wherein the pallet positioning step is furthercharacterized by positioning the pallet on the load bearing walls withthe deck of the pallet positioned closely adjacent one of the loadbearing walls.
 9. In a method of erecting a dwelling on a constructionsite, the steps of: preparing an elongated, integrally cast concretepallet at a plant remote from the construction site, the pallet having adeck portion and a plurality of longitudinally extending beam portionsdepending from the deck portion, each beam portion encasing tensionmembers which prestress the pallet such that the beam portions areadapted for support at spaced points to support a load on the deckportion; preparing load bearing wall members at the plant; mounting theload bearing wall members on the pallet at the plant with the loadbearing wall members positioned at spaced points longitudinally of thedeck portion of the pallet to define a dwelling area therebetween;preparing support means at the construction site including spaced loadbearing means for supporting the beam portions of the pallet at thespaced points; transporting the pallet with the load bearing wallmembers mounted thereon from the plant to the construction site; placingthe pallet on the supporting means with the spaced points of the beamportions of the pallet engaging the spaced load bearing means; repeatingthe first, second and third steps to provide a second elongated,integrally cast concrete pallet having load bearing wall members mountedthereon; transporting the second pallet with the load bearing wallmembers mounted thereon from the plant to the construction site; andpositioning the second pallet over the first pallet with the loadbearing wall members of the first pallet engaging the spaced points ofthe beam portions of the second pallet so that the second pallet formsthe ceiling of the dwelling area of the first pallet.
 10. The method oferecting a dwelling according to claim 9 including the additional stepof placing a third elongated, integrally cast concrete pallet on theload bearing wall members of the second pallet so that the third palletforms the ceiling of the dwelling area of the second pallet.
 11. In amethod of erecting a dwelling on a construction site, the steps of:preparing an elongated, integrally cast concrete pallet at a plantremote from the construction site, the pallet having a deck portion anda plurality of longitudinally extending beam portions depending from thedeck portion, each beam portion encasing tension members which prestressthe pallet such that the beam portions are adapted for support at spacedpoints to support a load on the deck portion; preparing load bearingwall members at the plant; mounting the load bearing wall members on thepallet at the plant with the load bearing wall members positioned atspaced points longitudinally of the deck portion of the pallet to definea dwelling area therebetween and with the load bearing wall membersextending transversely and substantially perpendicularly relative to thedeck portion of the pallet; preparing support means at the constructionsite including spaced load bearing means for supporting the beamportions of the pallet at the spaced points; transporting the palletwith the load bearing wall members mounted thereon from the plant to theconstruction site; and placing the pallet on the supporting means withthe spaced points of the beam portions of the pallet engaging the spacedload bearing means.
 12. In a method of erecting a dwelling on aconstruction site, the steps of: preparing an elongated, integrally castconcrete pallet at a plant remote from the construction site, the pallethaving a deck portion and a plurality of longitudinally extending beamportions depending from the deck portion, each beam portion encasingtension members which prestress the pallet such that the beam portionsare adapted for support at spaced points to support a load on the deckportion; preparing load bearing wall members at the plant having notchesformed in the upper edges thereof which are substantially identical incross section to the beam portions of the pallet; mounting the loadbearing wall members on the pallet at the plant with the load bearingwall members positioned at spaced points longitudinally of the deckportion of the pallet to define a dwelling area therebetween and withthe load bearing wall members extending transversely and substantiallyperpendicularly relative to the deck portion of the pallet; preparingsupport means at the construction site including spaced load bearingmeans for supporting the beam portions of the pallet at the spacedpoints; transporting the pallet with the load bearing wall membersmounted thereon from the plant to the construction site; placing thepallet on the supporting means with the spaced points of the beamportions of the pallet engaging the spaced load bearing means; andsupporting a second elongated, integrally cast concrete pallet on theload bearing wall members to form the ceiling of the dwelling area ofthe first pallet.
 13. The method of erecting a dwelling according toclaim 12 further characterized by: repeating the first, second and thirdsteps to provide a second pallet having load bearing wall membersmounted thereon at points corresponding to the positioning of the loadbearing wall members on the first pallet; transporting the second palletwith the load bearing wall members mounted thereon from the plant to theconstruction site; and supporting the second pallet and the load bearingwaLl members mounted thereon on the load bearing wall members of thefirst pallet with the load bearing wall members of the second palletpositioned directly over the load bearing wall members of the firstpallet.
 14. The method of erecting a dwelling according to claim 13wherein the transporting steps are carried out by supporting the palletsat points adjacent the spaced points of the beam portions of thepallets.
 15. In a method of erecting a dwelling on a construction site,the steps of: preparing an elongated, integrally cast concrete pallet ata plant remote from the construction site, the pallet having a deckportion and a plurality of longitudinally extending beam portionsdepending from the deck portion, each beam portion encasing tensionmembers which prestress the pallet such that the beam portions areadapted for support at spaced points to support a load on the deckportion; preparing load bearing wall members at the plant; mounting theload bearing wall members on the pallet at the plant with the loadbearing wall members positioned at spaced points longitudinally of thedeck portion of the pallet to define a dwelling area therebetweenextending substantially entirely across the deck portion andperpendicularly with respect thereto; preparing support means at theconstruction site including spaced load bearing means for supporting thebeam portions of the pallet at the spaced points; transporting thepallet with the load bearing wall members mounted thereon from the plantto the construction site while supporting the pallet at points adjacentthe spaced points of the beam portions; placing the pallet on thesupporting means with the spaced points of the beam portions of thepallet engaging the spaced load bearing means; and positioning a secondelongated integrally cast pallet on the load bearing wall membersfollowing the pallet placing step to define the ceiling at the dwellingarea.
 16. In a method of erecting a dwelling on a construction site, thesteps of: preparing an elongated, integrally cast concrete pallet at aplant remote from the construction site, the pallet having a deckportion and a plurality of longitudinally extending beam portionsdepending from the deck portion, each beam portion encasing tensionmembers which prestress the pallet such that the beam portions areadapted for support at spaced points to support a load on the deckportion; preparing load bearing wall members at the plant; mounting theload bearing wall members on the pallet at the plant with the loadbearing wall members positioned at spaced points longitudinally of thedeck portion of the pallet to define a dwelling area therebetween;preparing support means at the construction site including spaced loadbearing means for supporting the beam portions of the pallet at thespaced points; transporting the pallet with the load bearing wallmembers mounted thereon from the plant to the construction site; andplacing the pallet on the supporting means with the spaced points of thebeam portions of the pallet engaging the spaced load bearing means.